Surreal soundscapes and unearthly images inside Starship Enterprise-type surroundings. The latest sci-fi flick? No, the public’s first exposure to the Art Gallery of Alberta in its new digs.

The much-anticipated unveiling to the general public brought crowds galore to the new Churchill Square landmark yesterday, with hundreds stepping through the doors free of charge on opening day to see works by Degas, Goya and countless others. New groups of visitors turned up every half-hour under the giveaway of timed tickets online, each with a time of day for that group to work around.

“It’s used by a whole bunch of different museums,” said communications officer Sarah Hoyles of the timed ticket concept. “It’s all been positive. Everyone’s been really patient.

“Today’s really our first opening day, it’s where we get the people in when the gallery is up and running.”

The Murder of Crows, a sound installation by Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, took up the gallery’s third floor with dozens of speakers and traces a dream by Cardiff with a link to Francisco Goya’s etching, The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters. The setpiece left Pigeon Lake resident Roger Cole amazed.

“(The AGA will) be a downtown draw,” Cole said. “It’s world-class.”

Equally impressed were Edmonton visitors Dmitri Bokov and Alyona Klyushina as they made their way through a showcase of the works of photographer Yousuf Karsh.

“I think all Edmontonians desperately need something like this,” Klyushina said. “It can be a fresh step to a great future.”

For more information on the Art Gallery of Alberta, visit www.youraga.ca